Aim?

[Gudda]

Im trying to get better with my aim because when i get behind someone i usually just waste ammo before i hit them i was just wondering if any of you have any tips on things i can do to get better with my aim should i just fly around in the DA fir awhile or should i go into the training arena and try stuff to get better 




    Gudda

[The Fugitive]

The training arena has a "computer site" that you can turn on to see where you should be aiming to get hits. This will teach you how much lead you need.

The other thing is to shot at the convergence you have your guns set to, and in most cases closer in is better. On an guesstemet average from what I've read over the years here is most people set it at 300-400. Shooting at anything but convergence means the hits you DO get are scattered like buck shot. Shooting AT convergence drills big holes.

[PFactorDave]

Get closer.

It's as simple as that.  Work on your flying first.  Get to the point where you can fly to your shot.  Then discipline yourself to wait until you are close before you shoot.  I used to shoot at 800 or 1000 out, simply because I wasn't confident  that I would be able to get a closer shot.  Now, I rarely shoot farther then 200 out, unless I am trying to get a runner to turn, then I might toss some BBs at him from longer range.

[TheRapier]

I don't shoot at farther than 600 w/50 cals, less with German, Russian, or Japanese cannon.

Main thing is to be very smooth on the controls and focus on the target. Fire short bursts, observe where they go an and correct your aim smoothly. Don't jerk the plane around or the nose bounce will be hard to control. Straight six shots tend to be the most difficult to get killing shots. 90 degrees off, if you can hit, tends to do more damage.

I'd strongly recommend flying just one plane, or at least one kind of gun to really get your lead figured out. By that I mean, if you fly American planes, stick to the 50's so that you can get used to the trajectory of that gun. If you fly German, stay with one main gun, either the 20mm or taters. In planes that have multiple calibers (P-39, Spits, etc.), figure out which is the main guns you want to optimize for and work on hitting with those. These are usually the ones with the most hitting power.

[Ghosth]

How far away would you shoot at a running deer with a rifle? 100 yards? 200 yards?

What do you think the actual hit percentage would be beyond 300 yards?
Icons are in yards, so if he's 400+ on the icon he's over a quarter of a mile away from you.
Secret is to get close, then get closer, once there very very small fine control.

Shooting at a plane is a bit like shooting at a flock of ducks. You may hit one, may.
But if you pick out one duck, line up your shot, swing through, lead, and shoot your chances go up significantly.

Pick out one small part of the plane, then work on putting all your rounds in that spot.
Its amazing when I fly the D3a1 val as a target, tell people to put a burst in the meatball on the wing how long it takes most of them to do so. Watch your hit flash's, teach your brain what the right sight picture looks like.

[EskimoJoe]

How far away would you shoot at a running deer with a rifle? 100 yards? 200 yards?

What do you think the actual hit percentage would be beyond 300 yards?
Icons are in yards, so if he's 400+ on the icon he's over a quarter of a mile away from you.
Secret is to get close, then get closer, once there very very small fine control.

Shooting at a plane is a bit like shooting at a flock of ducks. You may hit one, may.
But if you pick out one duck, line up your shot, swing through, lead, and shoot your chances go up significantly.

Pick out one small part of the plane, then work on putting all your rounds in that spot.
Its amazing when I fly the D3a1 val as a target, tell people to put a burst in the meatball on the wing how long it takes most of them to do so. Watch your hit flash's, teach your brain what the right sight picture looks like.

Icons are in yards? I always thought they were in feet?
I'm confused now 

[mtnman]

Icons are in yards? I always thought they were in feet?
I'm confused now 

Nope, they're in yards.

Specifically, D200 is the space between 100 and 299 yards from you, D400 is 300-499 yards from you, D600 is 500-699 yards, etc...  The icon shown is the "center" of the 200 yard range it includes.

Knowing that actually gives you an edge with a convergence set for the range where an icon will change.  For example, when the D400 icon changes to a D200 icon, your actual range is 300yards.  If you set your convergence for 300, you'll know you're firing at convergence if you fire as you see the icon counter change.

The icon range in yards can be confusing when it's used for it's other common use, which is estimating altitude.  If you look up at a group of bombers and the icon counter reads D2.0, they're really around 6000 ft above you.  The same rule applies though- the icon reads the center of the range it encompasses.

[EskimoJoe]

Nope, they're in yards.

Specifically, D200 is the space between 100 and 299 yards from you, D400 is 300-499 yards from you, D600 is 500-699 yards, etc...  The icon shown is the "center" of the 200 yard range it includes.

Knowing that actually gives you an edge with a convergence set for the range where an icon will change.  For example, when the D400 icon changes to a D200 icon, your actual range is 300yards.  If you set your convergence for 300, you'll know you're firing at convergence if you fire as you see the icon counter change.

The icon range in yards can be confusing when it's used for it's other common use, which is estimating altitude.  If you look up at a group of bombers and the icon counter reads D2.0, they're really around 6000 ft above you.  The same rule applies though- the icon reads the center of the range it encompasses.

Whoops! 
Thanks for clearing that up.

[Gudda]

Thanks for all the help guys ive been doing what you have been telling me and its really helping 



                        Gudda

[R 105]

 In the TA there is a dot command to pull up a gunnery target to fire at in the air. Then you can see how your guns hit at different ranges and convergence and it was a big help to me. I however forgot the DOT command now and I am not even sure the targets are still available in the TA now. Maybe someone know all this and can post it here.

[FLS]

In the TA there is a dot command to pull up a gunnery target to fire at in the air. Then you can see how your guns hit at different ranges and convergence and it was a big help to me. I however forgot the DOT command now and I am not even sure the targets are still available in the TA now. Maybe someone know all this and can post it here.

Typing .target xxx in the text buffer will set a target xxx yards away. Type .target 0 to turn it off.

[The Fugitive]

Typing .target xxx in the text buffer will set a target xxx yards away. Type .target 0 to turn it off.

The target will appear NORTH of you and is available in ALL arenas both on and off line.

[R 105]

 Thanks guys I could not remember that command. I have wanted to tell a lot of the new fellows about so they could use it but just couldn't recall it. I didn't know it worked in all the arenas or if I did I forgot that too. Getting old is hard on a body lol.

[Hap]

fly offline shoot the red drones at your airfield

also go with a bud to the ta.  take turns shooting at ea other with flaps up and with a notch

[Shiva]

What do you think the actual hit percentage would be beyond 300 yards?
Icons are in yards, so if he's 400+ on the icon he's over a quarter of a mile away from you.
Secret is to get close, then get closer, once there very very small fine control.

I remember watching a program on the P-39 on the History Channel, and they had an interview with a Russian P-39 pilot. He talked about gunnery with the P-39, and said that he never had an issue with the P-39's cannon. You got in close -- under a hundred feet -- and then you didn't have to worry much about deflection shooting.